Pune and Solapur Divisions Lead in Sugarcane Crushing in Maharashtra

11-May-2026 08:35 PM

Mumbai: In the 2024-25 marketing season (October–September), Maharashtra had slipped to the second position in sugar production, falling behind Uttar Pradesh; however, in the current 2025-26 marketing season, it has once again reclaimed the top spot. Notably, even in the current marketing season, the total sugar production in the state did not reach the 100-lakh-tonne mark.

According to official statistics, during the ongoing 2025-26 marketing season, the Pune and Solapur divisions led the state in sugarcane crushing; however, the average sugar recovery rate from sugarcane in these regions remained low. Conversely, the Kolhapur division recorded the highest sugar production, driven by a high recovery rate—which was, in fact, the highest among all divisions.

This year, the sugarcane crushing season in Maharashtra concluded within just 105 days. According to available data, approximately 104.5 million tonnes of sugarcane were crushed during the 2025-26 season, resulting in a sugar production of 9.918 million tonnes (99.18 lakh tonnes) at an average recovery rate of 9.49 percent. In comparison, 85.382 million tonnes of sugarcane were crushed during the 2024-25 season; thus, this year witnessed an increase of approximately 19.176 million tonnes in sugarcane crushing and 1.825 million tonnes in sugar production.

This season, 22.255 million tonnes of sugarcane were crushed across the 32 units in the Pune division, while 22.205 million tonnes were crushed across the 49 mills in the Solapur division. In contrast, the 38 mills in the Kolhapur division managed to crush 21.046 million tonnes of sugarcane. Nevertheless, the Kolhapur division recorded the highest average sugar recovery rate—standing at 11.02 percent—which propelled its sugar production to just over 2.319 million tonnes (23.19 lakh tonnes).

Maharashtra's Sugar Commissioner states that, during the initial phase of the 2025-26 season, sugar production in the state was projected to rise to 105 lakh tonnes; however, actual production remained limited to around 99 lakh tonnes. As sugarcane crushing capacity in the state is increasing, there is a corresponding need to enhance sugarcane productivity.